SAN ANTONIO — For a nine-win group resembling USC, as soon as once more on the skin trying in on the School Soccer Playoff, the bowl season can really feel a bit like purgatory. One foot prior to now season, the opposite sooner or later, your group trapped someplace in-between.
There have been glimpses of every Tuesday night time for USC, in a brutal 30-27 Alamo Bowl additional time defeat by the hands of Texas Christian. Equal reminders each of what might have been this season, had USC ever performed at its finest for lengthy, and likewise flashes of why it by no means managed to come back collectively.
In a single second, there was freshman Tanook Hines, sprinting to catch a deep ball in stride, asserting himself as a rising star. In one other, a TCU operating again was busting his method via tackles on third and lengthy, rumbling his method into the tip zone, deflating any delusions of grandeur.
However the remaining minutes took the Trojans on a tour of all probably the most obvious considerations from their 2025 season, from the leaky protection to the missed alternatives on offense. USC had led by two scores with lower than 5 minutes remaining, solely to see its lead evaporate in that span.
It bought all the best way to the five-yard line in additional time, however did not punch in, settling for a area objective that might spell its demise.
Although, it didn’t appear to be headed that method as TCU confronted a 3rd and 20, with its hopes hanging within the stability. Quarterback Ken Seals merely dumped it off to his operating again, Jeremy Payne, and hoped for the perfect.
He bought it, all whereas dealing the Trojans a nightmarish conclusion within the course of.
Payne broke one deal with, then one other, then one other, rumbling his method 35 yards till he’d scored a walk-off landing, leaving USC with a 9-4 report and bitter style in its mouth heading into the offseason.
There had been a number of possibilities all through for USC to place the sport away, identical to there had been a number of possibilities in every of the Trojans’ 4 losses this season.
And now, USC faces a litany of questions unanswered, not the least of which being what course will USC take its protection, after coordinator D’Anton Lynn departed for Penn State simply earlier than the sport.
USC definitely performed prefer it had misplaced its coordinator and half of its starters on that aspect of the ball, giving up 144 yards within the fourth quarter.
The questions raised Tuesday, nonetheless, didn’t embrace how USC would possibly exchange its No. 1 wideout subsequent season. Hines had already performed his half to earn that position, however declared it to the world with a six-catch, 163-yard efficiency.
King Miller supplied related confidence in the way forward for USC’s dashing assault, operating for 99 yards and a landing.
However they could have been the one two. Jayden Maiava, who will return subsequent season, accomplished 18 of 30 passes for 280 yards, a landing and two interceptions.
USC was already dealing with an uphill climb with its roster, contemplating over a dozen starters or would-be starters have been out for one purpose or one other. Three of the Trojans’ beginning offensive linemen didn’t gown. Each of their high receivers and high tight finish have been in road garments, having already declared for the NFL draft. Twenty-five gamers listed in USC’s two-deep have been both freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
USC operating again King Miller is stopped brief by the Texas Christian protection within the first half throughout the Alamo Bowl on Tuesday night time.
(Eric Homosexual / Related Press)
Then there was the matter of being with out their defensive coordinator. Lynn left the group a day after he formally took the identical job at Penn State. The choice for Lynn to not coach the bowl was described to The Occasions as “a mutual settlement.” However his absence left USC to entrust defensive position coach Eric Henderson to step into a task he wasn’t anticipating.
It went fairly easily at first. USC held TCU to 2 straight three-and-outs — and simply 11 whole yards in two drives — to open the sport.
However on the following possession, Maiava threw into heavy protection within the seam. His move was picked off. The momentum USC had constructed up dissolved nearly immediately.
The protection’s sturdy begin light into disarray. TCU turned up the tempo and mounted consecutive landing drives. Errors piled up for a protection that was counting on inexperienced gamers at each stage. Tackling, which was improved all season, out of the blue was a battle.
Twice, USC stalled after promising drives, deep in TCU territory, leaving it to accept a pair of first-half area objectives and take a 14-13 deficit into halftime.
USC got here out of the locker room trying able to kick into gear. Linebacker Jadyn Walker tipped a move deep in TCU territory, and security Christian Pierce got here down with the interception, placing USC in excellent place to capitalize.
USC handed it proper again. With the ball on the seven-yard line, Maiava threw into visitors as soon as once more. It was picked off ultimately zone.
However this time, USC’s protection managed to salvage the error, forcing a three-and-out, solely to seek out itself on the sphere once more lower than 90 seconds later. It bought one other cease, nonetheless.
Maiava lastly made probably the most of that chance. He hit Hines in stride on a 46-yard bomb, then discovered senior Jaden Richardson within the nook of the tip zone for a surprising, one-handed rating.
However TCU refused to go away. The Horned Frogs mounted two scoring drives within the remaining 5 minutes, forcing additional time.
